Here's a look at today's local headlines. (Remember, for the latest on Hurricane Irene, see today's News & Observer and www.newsobserver.com)

BOY SCOUTS FIND NEW HOME: A local Scout troop will begin meeting at the American Legion Post next month after the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA broke ties over the Scouts ban on gay leaders and members.

COUNTY RESTARTS LIBRARY SEARCH: The Orange County commissioners may consider a site farther down on Hillsborough Road after rejecting the one close to downtown because of increasing costs.

LOVE IT OR HATE IT: We asked you what you think of "The Help," the come from behind story of black maids and more during the Jim Crow South and your letters are still coming in (got one already this morning). Read Carlton Koonce's story and our special commentary section today.

Lucas Selvidge starts a fire, Michelle Brooke kicks up a storm and associate editor Dave Hart takes on judgment calls in today's editorial about recent letters on the Scouts situation. We appreciate your feedback. Thanks for reading,

Mark       

A Chapel Hill Boy Scouts troop has found a new sponsor after losing its home over the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay Scout leaders and members.

Troop 505 will move into the American Legion Post 6 on Legion Road next month, post commander Lee Heavlin said.

The troop had been asked the leave the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA center in Meadowmont after the YMCA board voted to extend its nondiscrimination policy to groups that use its space. The YMCA policy protects gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and members.

The Boy Scouts had another year to find a new location, but the Legion Post’s offer was too good to pass up, said Scoutmaster Robert West.

“I can’t imagine a better experience than to have our boys surrounded by true American heroes as part of their mentoring experience,” West said. “It will be magical.”

Read the full version of this story Sunday in The Chapel Hill News and at www.chapelhillnews.com.
 

A reader, Sarah Lowry, says two letters about the YMCA and the Boy Scouts  in today's Chapel Hill News cross the line into "hateful rhetoric."

"I urge you to stop printing these letters,' she writes. "These types of letters can not be addressed by replies from other readers. There is a profound difference between presenting differing points of view and unthinkingly printing bigoted, hateful letters as though they are legitimate opinions of value in a civil forum. I support a right to freedom of speech and expression, but there is no right that guarantees space for the spewing of hateful rhetoric in the opinion pages of any newspaper."

Both letters responded to Molly De Marco's recent guest colum that said the Boy Scouts should adapt to the times and adopt inclusive policies like the Girls Scouts, who admit lesbian Scouts and Scout leaders.

"I would remind Ms. De Marco that the passage of time has no relation to the moral law," writes Alan Culton (full letter here). "Hitting an old lady over the head and taking her shopping bag was known to be a bad thing to do ten thousand years ago. If my wife caught me cheating I would not suggest to her that she adapt to the times - she would hit me over the head."

Tom Evans writes: "Why do LGBTQ's think that everyone should accommodate them? Is this self-justification of a defective "lifestyle"? Is it symptomatic of the dysfunctional mental processes plaguing this community? Who knows and who cares? Believe what you want, but keep it to yourselves and stop trying to bend everyone to the LGBTQ philosophy." (see full letter here.)

We have printed a dozen letters since the Y's decision to sever its relationship with the Boy Scouts over its opposition to gay members and leaders. (See original story here.) I don't think today's letters constitute hate speech, though they may offend some readers. I do think they show what some people in our community think about a controversial decision. What do you think?